First Nation meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

First Nation

noun

UK /ˌfɜːs(t)ˈneɪʃn/ · CA, US /ˌfɜɹs(t)ˈneɪʃən/

Etymology From first (adjective) + nation, coined in the late 1970s in place of the word Indian which had become regarded by some as derogatory (though it is still used: see the usage note).

Canada, In plural, Often A community of indigenous peoples of Canada (typically not including the Inuit or Metis), especially one officially recognized by the federal government.

Today we speak as the descendants of our grandfathers who signed treaties with the Commissioners representing Her Majesty Queen Victoria in the late 1800s. […] The various governments of this country have made attempts to abrogate our treaties in one way or another. In spite of this, our treaties stand stronger than ever because we have had to rise as First Nations to defend them.1980 December 18, Eugene Steinhauer, President of the Indian Association of Alberta, witness, Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence of the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons on the Constitution of Canada: Respecting the Document Entitled “Proposed Resolution for a Joint Address to Her Majesty the Queen Respecting the Constitution of Canada” Published by the Government on October 2, 1980 (First Session of the Thirty-second Parliament), number 29, [Ottawa, Ont.]: Queen’s Printer for Canada, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2024, page 101, column 1:
The Campbell River First Nation claims the 40 hectares of prime real estate has been illegally acquired, and it wants the land returned to it, along with damages.2008 April 4, “Band sues for waterfront property”, in Edmonton Sun, Edmonton, Alta.: Sun Media Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC:

1 more example

The prolonged sufferings and ghastly deaths of Jesuit missionaries at the hands of hostile First Nations on the borders of the French colonies in Canada in the early seventeenth century rank high in the history of Christian suffering.2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, “A Worldwide Faith (1500–1800)”, in A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years, London: Allen Lane, Penguin Books, →ISBN, part VI (Western Christianity Dismembered (1300–1800)), page 714:

Broadly, In plural, Often, Uncommon A community or settlement of indigenous peoples of any country or region.

Australia, Broadly, In plural, Often, Uncommon A community of indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) peoples of Australia; a group of Indigenous Australians.

Derived terms: First Nation band, First Nations